


This Life is a Journey Too

by A_Cloudy_Day_In_AU_Hell



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU stolen with permission haha, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Characters will be added as they appear - Freeform, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I promise, Linked Universe, Linked Universe AU, Minecraft mob hybrid AU, More tags to be added, Run Boy Run AU, Shadow supremacy lmao, Sky needs a nap, They're all one big family, Time is Twi's dad, Y'all why do Green and Blue have LU tags but not Red and Vio give my boys some love, also actual biological family, author isn't sure if she regrets doing this or not yet, babysitter Sky lmao, everyone proteccs Wild because reasons, having said that, implied/reverenced Midlink, lu - Freeform, malink, marink, multiple iterations of Zelink, no Dink surprisingly, not all of them are Minecraft mobs tho, or whatever Link/Marin is called in the fandom idfk, please someone give Time and Twi blankets like a lot of them, romance is not the main focus, the best kind of angst, you know how it is, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 21:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Cloudy_Day_In_AU_Hell/pseuds/A_Cloudy_Day_In_AU_Hell
Summary: Somebody come get her, she was way too inspired by a fanfiction about block men and got carried away daydreaming about Linked Universe EY!Self-indulgent(because when do I write something that's not) Linked Universe Minecraft mob hybrid AU, feat. dynamics that I haven't seen a lot
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Four (Linked Universe) & Shadow Link, Legend (Linked Universe)/Marin (Legend of Zelda), Link/Malon (Legend of Zelda), Link/Midna (Legend of Zelda), Malon (Legend of Zelda)/Time (Linked Universe)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	This Life is a Journey Too

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Run Boy Run](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27495922) by [WhiteWolfCub (SilverWolfCub)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWolfCub/pseuds/WhiteWolfCub). 



> SO! Original fic is Run Boy Run by WhiteWolfCub/SilverWolfCub! It's a Dream SMP/Minecraft Manhunt mob hybrid AU and it's an absolute banger of a fic, definitely give it a read. There's some stuff I added/changed a little, but the premise is the same and anything that's changed will be explained. Probably the most relevant changes are the addition of Angels and their borns/halfborns and Fae, who don't don't have borns. As of the time I'm writing this, WolfCub hasn't explicitly said that either of these don't exist, but they also haven't said anything about their existence, so I'm considering them additions. Another not-necessarily-not-canon thing is that the majority of sirenborns don’t actually eat humans, some do but they’re normally seen as outcasts and the hunters and stuff used that as an excuse to go wild or whatever. I did that because of rules on the server; I want to be able to put this fic out there and I’m not willing to break the rules to do so. And that's okay, because the likelihood of this being canon to Run Boy Run is extremely low. (Unless…?) BUT YEAH CHECK OUT RUN BOY RUN IT’S A GREAT GEN DSMP FIC GO GIVE WOLFCUB SOME LOVE <3
> 
> Needlessly long intro to the fic is complete, let's get into it!
> 
> 2.5k words :D

The cellar was quiet and warm.

Time hummed a soft tune to himself as he looked over documents and maps in the small room. A furnace close by cast a dim orange glow onto the floor, and the faint crackling of the coals was barely audible from where he sat. As much as he tried to convince himself that he had only placed it there because he needed _somewhere_ to burn correspondence and that his decision had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the heat it radiated, Time still felt guilty for the materials that it had cost to make. That stone could have been used for something much more productive. Despite that, it still eased the constant chill in his chest a reasonable amount, though a simple furnace couldn't ever truly combat the cold of an Ender pearl.

The man glanced at his mask, set on the table beside a small stack of reports. It was white, with two "ears'' that protruded from the top like rabbit ears; narrow, squinting eye holes; and angular red and turquoise markings just beneath the eyes and on the middle of the forehead. A fine crack ran through the right side, cleanly through the eye. Time liked to take it off when he was alone down here. To let his face feel at least a little warmth. Enderborns like himself wore masks to keep the eyes of humans away from their own, not for their safety, but for the human's. Other borns and halfborns were safe, but if an unmasked Enderborn met eyes with a human...

 _A perpetually smiling face twisting into an expression of pure, unadulterated fear. The sound of fabric ripping as extra limbs tore through his back. His own screams mingling with the human's as a blade hit home on his face. Thoughts of only killing, only the hunt._ **_The Looker cannot survive..._ **

_The grassy field gone black with blood, illuminated by the full moon._

Time shook his head to clear it. _That's in the past,_ he told himself, ignoring the screams that still echoed in his mind all these years later.

_Never again._

With a sigh, the man diverted his attention back to the task at hand. Reports from the scouts had come in a few days ago, of a wealthy family with several captured Sirenborns. Time had sent out a message to one particular man immediately and had received a reply shortly afterwards announcing that he would be arriving today. So here Time was, making sure everything was in order. Two specific papers were set aside from the rest, descriptions of two of the poor souls trapped in that situation. A young woman with bright red hair who would sing the children to sleep at night and wake them in the morning, and a little blonde girl that simply seemed to be treated as some kind of pet. Just thinking about it brought a scowl to Time's face. Borns might not be human per se, but they were still _people_. The thought of being treated like some kind of exotic animal or worse, hunted for sport or enslaved, caused Time's stomach turn and worry for his son to surface. 

Really, those feelings were why he was here. The cellar was more than just a warm escape and a place to hide, it was a planning room for the resistance. He'd been recognized as the leader of the movement since a few months after his people fled to their home dimension, several years ago. Of course, no one knew his identity. He'd allowed his real name to be used, since it sounded less like a given name and more like a code name, but only a chosen few really knew what type of born he was. There were rumors, sure, none of them true. At first, Time had been reluctant. He wanted to fight for change, but taking charge would put his family in danger, and that wasn't a risk he was willing to take.

They'd felt otherwise, though, and didn't hesitate to tell him.

Now he was here.

The sound of footsteps on the barn floor above him caught his attention. Time stiffened. He'd grown familiar with the footsteps of the people who knew about the cellar. Malon's were light yet purposeful; she always had confidence and a little bounce to her step. Twilight's were careful and often sounded like he was trying to walk quietly, but the riding boots he always wore were loud on any wood floors. He could probably list the people he knew on his jet-black fingers, but the fact of the matter was that these steps did not belong to any of them. Time reached for his mask and sword, fixing the former to his face quickly. The huge, Netherite-tipped blade glinted in the furnace-light. It had been a gift, years back, from a Striderborn friend of his, and had only seen battle a few times. Mostly, it stayed in the cellar as a last resort should an unwelcome guest decide to visit. Time's fingers curled around the handle as he waited, hoping that the trespasser wouldn't notice the hidden door--

"What do you think you're doing?!"

Time barely managed to hold in a sigh of relief at his wife's exclamation. She stomped across the barn floor, and whoever else was up there stumbled backwards. Time smirked as he heard the muffled _thud_ of them falling into the hay. "Wh-whoa, lady, I didn't mean nothin' by it--just needed to--" They yelped. "Hey, put down the pitchfork--!"

Malon must have been in their face now. "Fella, I'm not sure if you're just too _thick_ to realize it or not, but you're trespassing. _You used an Ender pearl to get over my fence._ " Ah. Time stiffened. That explained that, then. No one on the ranch was particularly fond of the way Endermen were cut down for their pearls. _Gods, have mercy on this poor fool, because she won't._

"Alright, alright! I'm goin'!" 

“Ya damn well should be!” After the intruder quickly stormed off, Time heard Malon sigh and make her way over to the entrance of the cellar. “Are you alright down there?” she asked. The sudden change in her tone was a little startling.

Time put the sword away and quickly double-checked that his mask was on. A normal human would probably find it cool to the touch; to Time, it was just barely warmer than he was. “Fine, thanks to you,” he replied.

“Mind if I come on down?”

“Be my guest.”

The sound of hay bales being moved out of the way, followed by the trapdoor leading down to his hiding spot being opened. “Mornin’, dear!” Malon greeted with a smile, returning Time’s embrace with a kiss on his cheek--Time thanked the gods that his parents had made his mask just so that it covered only his eyes and nose, leaving the bottom half of his face exposed. “We’ve got guests coming later, apparently,” she told him, handing him a letter. Time frowned and opened it. 

_Time,_

_I’ll keep this brief. We’ve got a bit of an emergency on our hands--a personal one, yes, but it’s one that we believe you can help us with. We’ll be arriving on the xxth of xx, should circumstance allow it._

_Until then,_

~~_Vio_~~ _Four_

Time’s frown deepened. “‘Us’? Doesn’t Four typically travel alone?”

“That’s what I had thought,” Malon replied, crossing her arms. “I was hoping you’d be able to come out today, but I guess that’s not going to happen.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think it can.” Time tossed the letter into the furnace and watched as it curled in on itself and burned away to ash. Any correspondence from anyone in the resistance had to be burned, no matter how mundane. And this mystery companion Four had written about… he knew that not many could know Time’s identity, right? That if it got out that he was an Enderborn, the resistance would be in danger? Not to mention his _family_ ! “He’s not usually this careless,” Time mused. Was it just _that much_ of an emergency?

“It does seem a little out of character…”

“Well, I suppose we can’t really change anything now. I’m pretty much done with what I came down here to do, and Epona needs to be re-shoed. Can you send Twilight over to help?” 

“Sure thing! And remember--” Malon rose onto her toes and planted a kiss on Time’s lips. “I love you, dear.”

“Not more than I love you.”

~~~

The barn chores went by quickly with Twilight’s help. When they were done, Time found himself sitting in the window to the loft of the barn. The late-spring sunlight did little to dull his constant chill, but it was nice nonetheless. His son was sitting next to him, looking out over the ranch. There was a mournful look in his eyes, and Time didn’t have to ask what was the matter. Twilight fiddled with the necklace that she’d given him as a parting gift the day that the portals had been closed. “You’ll smooth out the crystal if you keep sliding your fingers over it like that,” Time warned. Twilight stopped for a bit, and a moment passed.

“Do you think we’ll be able to…” He trailed off, absently rubbing the crystal again. 

Time sighed; they’d had this conversation before, repeatedly, whenever Twilight got too heartsick, and he hated to see his son like this. “It will likely take years, but yes. I believe that someday we’ll be able to open the portals, and you’ll be able to see her again.”

Three people came into sight at the house, dressed in green, blue, and red. As Time slipped his mask on, Twilight looked down at his necklace again. “I sure hope so,” he whispered.

Time wrapped his arms around his son, ignoring the wet spots on his shirt. 

~~~

When the three visitors arrived at the barn, he greeted them with open arms. Hyrule and Wind accepted the embrace, while Legend stood back. Despite trying to appear standoffish and apathetic, the young man couldn’t quite stop the corners of his mouth turning up in a small smile. “Time.”

“Legend,” Time said, breaking the hug and offering his hand for the human to shake. There weren’t many of his kind in the resistance, but Legend was actually one of Time’s most trusted men, and one of the few that the Enderborn considered a friend. “You look well, all things considered.”

Legend snorted. “I’m guessing you got the letter about that run-in with the troll, then.”

“Hyrule smelled like boiled pig’s ass for a _week_ after that,” Wind piped up, earning an elbow to the ribs from Hyrule. He stuck his tongue out at Legend’s warning glare, but shrunk back when Time cleared his throat and glared behind his mask.

“Anyways. As much as I’d like to catch up with you, I’m afraid we have business to attend to.” Time gestured to the cellar. Legend and Wind shared a look before the older nodded.

“Right,” he said.

“Um, Mister Lonlon?”

“Just Time, please, Hyrule.”

A nervous chuckle. “R-right, sorry. Time, can I take off my glamour?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.” Hyrule closed his eyes, and his form appeared to waver for a moment. His wings seemed to fade into existence, green and gold and nearly transparent. They, along with his freckles, shimmered in the light. When the fae boy opened his eyes, they were brown where the white of most species’ was, with green around pupils of gold. His smile was just the slightest bit pointy.

“Better?”

“A lot. Thank you, sir,” Hyrule said, stretching and fluttering his wings for what Time could only assume was the first time in a while. Outside the fae realm, few of them could keep up a human appearance for long. Sometimes it was hard to believe that the boy in front of him, constantly apologizing and rarely giving himself the credit he deserved, was counted among the most powerful of his kind. 

“It’s no problem at all,” Time replied. Keeping a mask on wasn’t draining like maintaining a glamour was, but he was familiar enough with having to hide oneself to know how relieving it felt to be allowed to take off a disguise. “Now. Let’s get down to the business you three are here to discuss.”

Wind looked up at Time with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. “Did you really find them?” the boy asked. There was restraint in his voice, however. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, only to be disappointed should things not turn out. Should his sister not be among the Sirenborns the scouts had found being held captive this time. It made Time furious with the world; a child as young as he was should not have to worry about things like this.

“I believe so, yes. Both your sister and Legend’s…” Time trailed off, looking over to Legend.

“Friend,” the young man finished, though his eyes told of something more. Time nodded. “Are you sure this time?” he asked.

“Unless Marin and Aryll are common girls’ names among redheaded and blonde Sirenborns, I’d say yes.”

Both Wind and Legend’s faces lit up at that. There was a new purpose to their steps as they followed Time into the cellar, and they wasted no time waiting to discuss how to rescue their loved ones.

~~~

The sound of bickering filled the air as another group made their way to the barn. Sky sent up a silent prayer, begging that the men that they were here to see could fix Four’s current predicament. He didn’t think he could take playing babysitter for much longer. He’d enjoyed Four’s company before that demon cursed him, but now… well, he still cared for his friend--friends?--but the parts of him that had been split apart seemed to derive genuine pleasure out of harassing each other.

“Hey, egghead! Eat mud!”

Sky was just barely able to avoid a flying ball of mud aimed for Vio. It completely missed its target and grazed the tip of Sky’s left wing. The halfborn pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Blue, I am at my wit’s end…”

The human in the blue tunic shrugged. “Sucks to suck, I guess,” he retorted. Sky’s feathers ruffled and he bit his lip to keep from screaming. _Gods, I have no idea what I’ve done to offend you so, but I swear I won’t let it happen again, just let him be whole again…_

It seemed that at least _someone_ had heard his prayer, as a group exited the barn they were walking towards. The tallest figure, masked and imposing, stiffened upon seeing them--at least, that’s why Sky assumed he froze up. Then he proceeded to just… _disappear_ . Before Sky had any time to register what had just happened, there was a _pop_ and the feeling of a frigid presence, a knee in his back, and a blade at his throat. Sky was on the ground in no time flat.

“Tell me who you are and why I shouldn’t kill you right here, and you _may_ make it out of here alive,” the man said, his voice _startlingly_ calm. 

“Time! Don’t hurt him, he’s with us!” _Oh, thank the gods_. Red was a blessing, Sky was sure of it. 

He felt the stranger--’Time’, he assumed--shift his weight a little. “...Four? What the _hell_ happened to you?”

“Can we talk that over _after_ you get off of our friend? Pretty sure you just broke at least six bones in his wings, jackass,” Blue said with a snort.

“Language,” Sky hissed.

“...Ah. Right.” Time stepped off of Sky and offered him a hand. Sky noticed it was… jet black, fading into a tan color at just above the elbow. “Apologies, but I’m sure you understand the need for caution.”

It was then that things suddenly clicked. The mask, the teleportation, the man’s extremely low temperature and black hands. “You’re… an Enderborn?” he asked, accepting the help up.

Time nodded. “Quite possibly the last left in this realm. You aren’t injured, are you?”

“A little muddy, but I’ll live,” Sky replied, shaking out his wings a little. He wanted to ask this man questions, but… well, now probably wasn’t the time for any of them. 

Green cleared his throat and stepped forward. “So… we kind of had a problem, and we were wondering if there was any way you could help us solve it.”

Time nodded. “Looks like Twilight and the others are almost here.” He chuckled. “But I’m sure I won’t be the only one wondering how _exactly_ you managed to end up in this situation.”

**Author's Note:**

> And so it begins… A list of everyone’s Born types, in case you got confused or forgot!
> 
> Time: Enderborn  
> Twilight: Ender halfborn  
> Malon: Human  
> Legend: Human  
> Wind: Sirenborn  
> Hyrule: Faerie/Fae, I honestly haven’t decided is there a difference help girl help--  
> Four: Human  
> Sky: Angel halfborn
> 
> As for Wild and Warriors… well, wouldn’t you like to know, weatherboy? >:3 Feel free to guess, though! I won’t be confirming or denying anything. As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated, and I’ll see you in the next chapter!! (Whenever that will be, I uh. Started this in late December and posted it in March so it might take a while bUT I WILL UPDATE IT, THIS TIME I ACTUALLY HAVE PLANS)
> 
> Also something said by a friend while I was telling them about this: "ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT TIME IS A TWILI MALE TELMA WHO OPERATES THROUGH A CELLAR?" Thank you Mim very cool <3


End file.
